Abigail Ruhman
Health ReporterAbigail Ruhman is a member of KERA's specialty beats team as its Health Reporter. Abigail was previously the statewide health reporter for the Indiana Public Broadcasting News Team, covering health policy. They graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s in journalism and a Bachelor of Arts with a dual emphasis in sociology and women's and gender studies.
-
Dallas County’s medical safety net provider wants to build a clinic in one of the fastest-growing areas in the county. The new Parkland Health clinic will provide primary and pediatric care to thousands of residents in the Inland Port area, which is considered a health care desert.
-
Texans with disabilities are facing a lot of challenges like public transit changes, Medicaid cuts and federal lawsuits that could have a significant effect on disability rights. But disability advocates said learning how to participate in advocacy work can be difficult and intimidating.That’s where the new Advocacy, Collaboration and Engagement, or ACE, training comes in.
-
Parkland Health was one of just two Texas-based organizations chosen for a “prestigious” national program designed to address provider burnout and workforce well-being concerns. The National Academy of Medicine selected Dallas County’s safety net hospital to join the Change Maker Accelerators program.
-
Tarrant County has confirmed its first pediatric flu death of the season Wednesday — the seventh pediatric flu death in Texas during the 2025-26 season. Tarrant County Public Health said flu activity is still widespread across the country, so people should take precautions.
-
People over the age of 65 are the fastest growing age group in the state — which could mean a greater need for services like hospice and palliative care. A new partnership between two nonprofits could expand services in North Texas.
-
Texas is leading a group of states that claim part of the Americans with Disabilities Act is unconstitutional, which disability advocates warn could lead more people into institutional care settings. Advocates said they want to put pressure on state policymakers to withdraw from the lawsuit.
-
The philanthropic arm of a major pharmaceutical company gave several Dallas-based nonprofits hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding to expand HIV prevent and treatment.
-
A recent UT Southwestern study found sports-related concussions might be underreported in lower-income districts located in urban areas. The study found a correlation between reported concussion rates and socioeconomic status.
-
Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a freeze on H-1B visas for public universities and state agencies — just a few months after the Trump administration increased the application fee from $5,000 to $100,000. Texas health care leaders warn changes could have a negative impact on the state's health care workforce.
-
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing more out-of-state providers for allegedly shipping abortion medication into Texas. Paxton’s office announced the new lawsuit today Tuesday.
-
Outgoing Metrocare CEO reflects on time with community mental health center, future of care in TexasDr. John Burruss, CEO of Dallas County's largest behavioral health provider, is set to retire at the end of April after over a decade with the organization. He spoke with KERA's Abigail Ruhman about his time with one of the busiest community mental health centers in Texas and the future of mental health care.
-
The Texas Legislature at least partially implemented less than a third of recommendations from the state’s 2024 Children’s Behavioral Health Strategic Plan, according to a recent report. Many of the recommendations focus on increasing access to services that keep children in their homes or communities instead of institutional settings.